What Matters Most
by SpazzSim
Summary: When Dark Dan breaks free of his restraints, he goes after the people Danny cares most about...namely Sam. DS, TV
1. Prologue: Breaking Free

Hi Peoples. I'm writing this for no reason. And the rating will come into play later. This is just a prolog (spelling?). Whee!

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom and all related insignia. Or propaganda. Or whatever that is mentioned here that you see on the show. Any new ideas are probably unintentional or intentional. Now that I have throughly confused some of you, let us begin!

Summary: When Dark Danny (AKA Dan Phantom) breaks free of his restraints, he goes after the people Danny cares most about...namely Sam. DS, TV

Warning: Clockwork cusses. Just so the squemish peoples know.

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What Ember had said so long ago to him was true. _"Have you ever been inside that thermos? Compared to that, this _(the Fenton RV) _is the Taj Mahal!"_ She was very correct. The thermos was friggin TINY.

Dark Dan grunted. It was a good thing that, before the incident with the CAT's he had inspected the Fenton Thermos from the outside... and inside. He knew exactly how to get out, it had just taken him a while to remember. After all, they couldn't trust Tuck after he'd let the thermos fall one too many times.

Dan grinned sadistically. When he got out of here, his younger self would pay. Clockwork had made the mention of how he existed outside of time, so he knew it was safe to harm the younger version of him. But not too bad, perhaps he could get him to join him...and he would, by threatening the closest ones to him. He would pick at the emotional wound left from his fist visit, make it deeper, more painful to bear...

Clockwork was fixing his staff. Okay, more like playing with it, but the public gets the general idea. Suddenly, a BOOM resinated though the Castle of Time. "And so it begins anew..." he muttered to himself. He smiled grimly at the irony of it: a fearsome ghost breaking free on Halloween to wreak havoc and destruction everywhere he went.

Laughter echoed down the hall to him, and even the master of time shivered ever so slightly at the pure evil and hatred underneath. Clockwork waited...

...and waited...

...and waited...

...and wait-hey, he was supposed to have only been kept waiting as long as the first "...and waited..."! What was up? Had Dan found another portal? Shit, this wasn't allowed!

But he was wrong. Dan was waiting for him.

"Clockwork... let me out."

Clockwork smiled in his mysterious way. "Everything is going the way it should be in the time stream. Why let you ruin it?"

Dan grinned again, but this time the smile was even worse. "Because I said so, old man!" Out of nowhere, a punch knocked Clockwork forward. This immediately alerted him to that something was wrong. Dan (or a clone, it was practically impossible to tell) lunged forward and snatched his Staff o'Time. Gulping, Clockwork knew he could be doomed.

"I'll give it back." Dan stepped around Clockwork and his clones 'rejoined' him. "As soon as I'm finished punishing my younger self!" And with that and a laugh, he disappeared.

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So how was that for a prolog? I'm leading into some action. Ho-rah for me. This would have been up sooner, but I had work and was forced to hand candy to Trick-or-Treaters.

Oh, and just a note to say thanks to those who read and/or reviewed my other story. Thank you!

Please review! Suggesting will be addressed and appreciated.

-SimController


	2. Chapter 1

Okay, here's the second installment. For the story. You get the idea. I hope. Meh.

Reviewer responses:

Thank you to all who reviewed, and to anyone who put this story on their 'alert' or 'fave' list!

**Sparky:** I agree. Sam and Danny love will last forever!

**animeroxz**: Thanks for the fav! Here's the next chapter.

**crazyvi**: falls over I can't believe my computer let me spell it wrong... grumbles Dumb computer. And this is the next chappy, so be ready...!

**RavensDarkrose**: The DS fluff shall start soon. Maybe in this chapter... you gotta read to find out!

**Dragon 05**: I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

To others: Thanx for reviewing, but I can't get you all if I wanna post this. Sorry...

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom and the characters mentioned in the story. I want Clockwork, though, he could give me more time for TV, and less time for work! But, since I get paid this weekend, it won't be too bad, I guess...

I forgot to put this last chapter! Ack!

"Talking"

'_Thinking_'

------- Scene changes

Enjoy!

Chapter One

"Fen-TON!" Danny raced out of the hallway he was in, and ran as fast as his legs could carry him down the stairs. "I'm gonna bust you open when I reach you, Fentino!" Dash Baxter had just gotten a 'd' on his science test. And we all know whose name begins with 'd.'

'_Why does he always take it out on me? Why not Nathan, or someone else?_' Danny looked around desperately. Noticing no one watching him, he made the transformation from Danny Fenton to his other self, Danny Phantom. Going intangible, he slipped out of the school and proceeded to the cafeteria, where Sam, Tucker, and Valerie were waiting - hey, VALERIE?

Changing back before rounding the corner to face them, Danny quickly thought of why Valerie would want to join them:

a) she had figured it out (you know, the whole "Danny Phantom" thing)

b) she was talking to Sam about a project they were assigned

c) Tucker was attempting to hit on her.

Praying to whatever force that was up there it was one of the last two options, he walked casually to Sam's side. Realizing that she was talking to Tucker, he let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. Sam noticed, and grinned.

"Worried she was going to attack you?" She queried, turning to face him as he answered.

"Yeah, actually. I just escaped a beating from Dash, so I'm kinda jumpy. What's going on, anyway?" Danny glanced over at Tucker, who was blushing slightly. And so was Valerie.

"Oh, nothing, except that Tucker asked Valerie out on a date. And she said yes. So now they're deciding on a place to have dinner." Sam's smile faded somewhat, a fact that went unnoticed by Danny. Poor ignorant kid.

Danny was too preoccupied with thoughts of him and Sam. Waitafrigginminute, not Sam, not Sam, she wouldn't like that, would she? He wondered... "Hey Sam," he said, startling Sam out of her thoughts, "if a guy were to ask you to eat out, what would you say?"

Sam's answer was immediate. "I'd say, can we got to a vegetarian restaurant? And if the guy says yes, then I might go with him."

Danny raised his eyebrows. "Might?"

"Do you think I would go with just anyone? What if Dash asked, do you thing I'd go then?"

"No, I should hope not..." Danny trailed off as Tucker rejoined then. "Wow, he looks dazed, or is it just me?"

"No, no, his eyes are definitely glazed with that happy expression. Let's get our lunch, shall we?" Always the practical one, Sam lead the two boys inside to the line that started in front of the food. "Hurrah, more meat for today's menu. That's the exact opposite of what I wanted for my lunch. Maybe I'll just have a salad. A nice, green salad. And - Danny, what's wrong?"

Danny was standing there frozen, as his ghost breath went off. "Oh man. Not now. Not here." He headed toward the entrance, but Dash suddenly came running though the double doors.

"FENTON! I've been looking all over for you! Time for a pounding!" Dash moved closer to Danny, but it was at this moment the renegade ghost decided to drop in.

"I AM THE BOX GHOST!" he shouted, giving Danny the couple of seconds he needed to run behind a random object to transform.

"How do you keep getting out of the ghost zone? You're probably one of my weakest enemies!" Danny Phantom flew up to the Box Ghost, and pulled out the Fenton Thermos.

"This time I did not escape from the round portal of doom by myself! I had a benefactor who gave me a reward to lure you outside..." the Box Ghost left the ominous sentence hang in the air for a few seconds, then shouted "BEWARE!" and flew to the window, phasing through it.

Danny looked at Sam and Tucker. Tuck seemed as if he was partially snapped out of his daze, and Sam merely was acting like Sam does in a mini-crisis. She was cool and collected. He glanced at the popular table. Paulina was freaking out over a tiny scratch she had found on her face, while Kwan and Star were doing nothing but sitting and trying to give the picture of being calm. Danny sighed mentally, wondering what he had ever seen in being popular. But back to the present...

"Da- I, uh, mean Inviso-bill!" Sam grimaced as she called him that, but it was for the best, so that nobody would become suspicious of Danny. "Don't go after him! You never know what could be hiding in the shadows!"

Danny shook his head. "Sorry, Sa - kid, but I have a job to do. And right now it's take out the trash..." He floated to the same window the Box Ghost had vanished through. "I'll be careful, so don't worry."

------------------------------------------

After exiting the cafeteria, Danny inspected his surroundings closely. He could tell something was off, and didn't want the 'off' part catching him unaware of it's presence. "Who is here? Why did you trick the Box Ghost into leading me here?"

A dark laugh made his blood run cold. He still had nightmares about this laugh. "Well, it seems as if the child has figured it out. I have escaped, and plan on using my valuable time conquering you and your pitiful world." Dan Phantom stepped out of the shadows in the alleyway, still as gaunt and just plain creepy as ever.

"N-no, I locked you away! Clockwork kept you in his tower! He told me there would be no more problems with you. What did you do to him?" Danny was in a state of panic. Dark Dan was the last person he needed right now.

"I knocked him out and took his staff." Dan carelessly brandished the ticking Staff o'Time in Danny's face. "Now, I'm here to ruin your life. **Time out!**"

Everything froze, and Dan laughed manically. Putting a medallion around Danny's neck, he said, "I'm going to put you in chains that you'll never be able to escape this time! Not to mention that I'll force you to watch every moment of agonizing pain that will fill these people's lives when I start my rein of terror. So first, I must assume your looks, to be accepted back into my group of friends..." Dan transformed into a younger version of himself, while Danny struggled with the ropes binding him.

"I'll get you for this, dammit! I got you last time, and I'll get you again!" Danny found it hard to breath as the ropes become chains that bit deeply into his wrists. "N-No!"

"First," said Dan, apparently oblivious to the ranting Danny, "I will destroy my family. Then Tucker. And the popular brat, Valerie. She gave me so much trouble in the future. And with Sam..." Dan's grin widened, as Danny felt his heart almost stop. "She gets the best treatment of them all! The choice between her life, or your life! And the greatest fact of this is that she'll never know she's choosing!" Turning to Danny, he said, "Doesn't this game sound fun?"

"YOU LEAVE SAM ALONE!" Danny yelled. Tucker was right, Danny did have strong emotions where Sam was concerned. He would do almost anything for Sam. Dan laughed cruelly.

"Don't worry! If she lives, then she gets to stay with me! And if you live, I'll more or less likely kill you anyway, so it doesn't matter. Now then," he tore open a portal to the ghost zone, "Warden is looking forward to having you back in jail again. Enjoy your stay!" And with that, Danny was tossed into the swirling green vortex, screaming.

Dan was pleased. If things went the way he wanted them to, he'd have Sam, a new slave, and the world at his feet. All he had to do was get the rest of the game into action, and his new world would be complete...

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Okay, that frightened my muses. And so there's no confusion, Dan refers to the older, White-fiery hair-green skinned and built Dark Dan. Danny means the younger, 14 not-as-built but still-has-his-human-side self. I believe that will help. I hope.

This should be updated on Thursday, Friday at the latest.

In the next chapter, Dan (posing as his younger self) goes back to the cafeteria and meets up with Sam and Tucker. Danny, meanwhile, is not having such a hot time in the ghost zone's prison.

Until the next chapter,

-SimController

P.S. Reviews are appreciated! Thank you for your support!


	3. Chapter 2

:Glances around and looks surprised: Hey, wow, I actually made the deadline I set for myself :dances around waving a little flag:

Reviewer responses are at the end. I've found it easier that way. Thanks to all who reviewed!

Disclaimer: You know, for some reason every time I do this I get sidetracked... :glances at stars: wow, they look pretty:sees the legal lawsuits materializing in front of her: Oh, right, Danny Phantom and all related icons are not my property, and I lay no claim to them. Although I wanna claim the older Box Ghost, or Older Danny. And since the Box Ghost is taken :hides from Lunch Lady: I'll just have to stick with Dark Dan :huggles Dark Dan:

Dan: AHH! THE LOVE! IT BURNS!

As usual, "talking", '_thinking_', and bold faced words will indicate the jumps between earth and the ghost zone.

Just a note- since Older Dan is posing as Younger Danny, I'm going to call older Dan "Dan" and younger Danny "Danny". That should clear up some confusion.

Chapter Two

**Earth**

Dan, now disguised as Danny, walked confidently into the cafeteria. Some of the students had run out when the Box Ghost had made his appearance, and now were starting to make their way cautiously into the room again. Slowly the noise level built back to the crescendo that it had been before the ghostly interruption. Out of the corner of his eye, Dan noticed Dash pushing his way through the crowds of kids everywhere, attempting to reach him. "Heh, fun. An old _mortal_ enemy."

"FENTON! You've escaped today's beating. But tomorrow is a different matter!" Dash was red faced from the anger he was giving off. Dan kept a cool facade up, even though he was seething on the inside and burned to make this jock suffer for all of the pain he had caused him in a past life.

"Sure Dash, we'll go with that for now," Dan said, walking off. '_Maybe,'_ he thought, '_I can lure him somewhere, and beat the holy shit out of him. But that's for a later day. Now...'_ he let his musings wander as he approached Sam and Tucker. Sam was the first to say anything.

"Oh my _god _Danny, you scared us so much! I was worried, and thought that you'd been hurt!"

"Yeah man, you should really warn us before you decide to go alone. What the smart thing to do would have been to tell us where you were going, so we could have followed..." Tucker raised his eyebrows. "Dude, are you even listening?"

"What? Ah, yes, tell you next time, must remember that. So," Dan said, sitting down next to Sam, "What's scheduled for this afternoon?"

"I was thinking video games in my basement?" Sam suggested, glancing at Tucker, who readily agreed. "Okay, then it's settled. Video games at my place after school!"

**Ghost Zone**

Danny struggled against his bonds while floating in the ghost zone. "Dammit, this sucks. My evil self is posing as me, I don't know where I am in the zone, and Walker is out for me! My life is wonderful."

"Well, well, well, my life just got a whole lot more pleasant." Danny made a choking noise as he recognized the voice. Walker. "Guess what, punk?" the warden asked in his Texan accent (1). "I have a nice, cozy little cell just for you, where you get to watch exactly what your older self is doing."

"Why are you working for him!" Danny questioned in an aggravated tone. "What does he possibly have that could benefit you?"

"Heh. He's the ruler of all ghosts. I either obey him, or he kills me in the ghost way." Walker looked down at Danny for a second. "Plus, he promised me that I could have as many ghost bandits as I wanted. So there's my motivation."

"Kills you...there's a way for him to do that?" Danny was excited and frightened at the same time.

"Yes... he pretty much tears you apart, atom by atom, until all that's left is a pile of goo. After that, he burns the goo with ectoplasmic fire, and you lose all consciousness. You never wake up again. I've seen him do it to unwilling ghosts as examples for others."

Danny shuddered, and went limp. Perhaps Walker had a way for him to escape back to where he was supposed to be? "Hey Walker, what year is it?"

"2016."

A year after the events of Older Dan coming to make his future set in stone. Didn't Walker know that Dan was no one to be afraid of? After all, the future should be a bright and pleasant place, with the evil villain gone.

"Here we are, your new home," the warden said as he lead Danny into a prison. "You will be staying in a place where I can keep my eyes on you... and where you can watch as your older self destroys your happiness."

Danny was placed in front of a T.V. like object. Walker floated around to it and turned it on. The screen showed fuzzy for a couple of seconds, then cleared to a picture of Dan (pretending to be Danny) talking to Sam and Tucker at a lunch table. "...kay, it's settled. Video games at my house after school!" Sam was saying.

"Ack! No! I have detention after school! My older self can't miss that, or I'll have more detentions in a week than I can keep track of!" Danny yelled frantically.

Walker floated back over with some popcorn. "This outta be good," he muttered to no one in particular.

**Earth**

Dan was in an agreeable mood. His plan was progressing well, Sam and Tucker didn't suspect him at all, and he was going to Sam's house. He barely remembered ever setting foot inside of the house, let alone staying there for the weekend. And he had modified his parent's portal before paying Danny a visit... and by 'modify' we mean 'destroyed.'

"Danny!" Sam called, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Are you coming inside or not?"

"Uh, coming," Dan said, stepping up next to Sam. "So why are we playing video games again?"

"Because we don't have any social lives to speak of," Tucker replied, walking past the other two and inside Sam's house. "And Sam has the biggest TV screen out of all of us."

"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled under her breath, and lead the boys downstairs. "What do you wanna play first?"

"OH! OH! I CALL KINGDOM HEARTS!" Tucker yelled, jumping to the controls and grabbing a random playing platform. It was a PlayStation 3, with some new equipment. "Wow, pretty!"

"Tucker, that's so new I haven't even tried it yet..." Sam said in a warning tone, as Dan watched his former friends.

"Good, then maybe I have a chance at beating you," Tucker said absentmindedly. Dan vaguely remembered that Sam had kicked their butts at everything, including karate, which she had apparently taken since age 5. The thought of a tiny Sam in a karate suit made him chuckle, causing the other kids to look at him strangely.

"Danny?" Sam asked. "Is there a problem?"

"Ah, no, not really," he mumbled, "just thinking about the past."

"Hmm. Okay then. What games are we playing?"

**Still Earth**

Two hours and fifteen minutes later, Sam was the winner of every game they had played so far. And the boys (or rather, Tucker was a boy and Dan was a man, but we won't discuss that here) were desperately attempting to beat her, but it was to no avail. She positively ruled at anything she did.

"So," Sam said cheerfully, "Now that I've kicked your butts 20 plus times in a row, want to call a break?"

"NO!" Tucker shouted, pressing as many buttons as he could. "I WILL DEFEAT YOU!"

"Tucker, we need a break. Just because you can play for 10 hours straight doesn't mean we can," Sam told him as she stood up to stretch.

"No, Sam, he's right. WE WILL DEFEAT YOU!" Dan said, grabbing his controller and playing violently. He didn't like being beaten, even if it was only video games and the triumphant on was Sam.

Sam sighed. "Oh well, if you wanna learn the hard way..."

Five minutes later, Sam was getting drinks for the guys as they stared at the TV sadly. "Television, gaming, why do you betray us!" Tucker fake sobbed.

"I have an idea," Dan said, grinning lopsidedly. "Here's the plan..." he whispered something in Tucker's ear, and slowly the African American boy's face lit up with evil amusement. "Got it?"

"Oh yeah," Tuck replied, thinking of how this would benefit him.

"Danny! Tucker! Drinks are - what are you doing?" Sam chose this exact moment to walk back into the room, and noticed the guys giving her their copyrighted 'evil look.' "Oh jeez. What is it this time?"

"Ready? GO!" Tucker shouted, as Dan went intangible. For a second, both Tucker and Sam got a brief flash of what looked like evil Dan, but they both dismissed it as their imaginations playing on them in the excitement.

"AhhHH!" Sam yelled as Dan overshadowed her. Under his control, she walked forward in a trance to an ectoplasmic cage that Dan had made. He had covered up the "new power" by telling Tucker that he had been working with his ghost powers and perfecting certain ones. Tuck believed him.

Dan made Sam walk inside, then flew out of her body as Tucker shut the cage door. "Huh? What was that?" Sam questioned as Dan and Tucker high-fived. "HEY! WHY AM I IN A CAGE? CAGES ARE WRONG AND CRUEL!"

"Relax," Dan said. "We'll let you out after you succumb to Tucker's demands."

"Let me hear these 'demands' before I bow down to them," the goth growled.

"Fine. Number one, you need to let me"- Dan cleared his throat -"erm, _us_ win a game every now and then."

"Yes, sure, whatever. Let me go!"

"Not yet. Number two, you have to...um... buy concert tickets to the band I like when they come to town."

"Already taken care of. The tickets are being shipped here as we speak."

"Oh." Tucker looked happy. "For Val and me?"

"Yes," Sam said in a clearly annoyed voice. "Now will you let me out?"

"No," Tucker said, his eyes gleaming. "I want you to convince Valerie to kiss me after my date with her."

Sam's eye twitched. "You expect her to listen to _me_?" She asked in a you've-got-to-be-kidding-me tone. "We're not even friends, let alone confidants!"

Dan spoke for the first time in a while. "A confidant?" Never in his 24 years had he heard that before, other than once he barely remembered when his sister was talking on the phone to a friend.

"It's something girls do, we confide our secrets to one best friend that we've known forever." Noticing the look on the boy's faces, she said, "A _girl_ best friend. Like the guys we like, the best kiss we ever had, things like that. I'd never share that kind of stuff with a guy. Would you share the first time you ever thought differently about a girl to a girl?"

"No, I suppose not," Tucker answered. "Is there some way for you to convince her then?"

"Well, I could just tell her flat-out 'Tucker wants to kiss you.' Would that suffice?" Sam asked dryly.

"Ah, no. Make friends with her then, and I'll let you go."

"Fine. I'll call her and talk for a while. But for now, LET ME GO!" Sam screeched, picking at the bars of the cage. Dan hastened to get the lock open.

"Hey Sam, how about we work together in getting Tucker and Valerie to kiss?" Dan asked in a low tone, so that the aforementioned boy wouldn't hear them.

Dan's voice sent tingles down Sam's spine, although she hid it well. "Okay," she said in what she thought to be a strong voice. Stepping out of the cage (that disappeared behind her), she muttered, "Meet me after school tomorrow and perhaps we can work out a plan of action."

Dan smiled, and albeit it seemed more... sinister than usual, it was still a smile in Sam's eyes. '_Good. Now to get her under MY control, so that I have her on my side. Perhaps I will get a kiss, as well...?_'

Sam's thoughts were along the same line, but for a much more innocent reason. She had a slight tinge of red to her cheeks as the boys left her house. '_I may finally be able to confess my feelings for Danny!_'

**Ghost zone- Walker's prison**

Danny watched the scenes playing before him, and almost laughed every time Sam beat his evil self and Tucker. Walker wasn't really paying attention to him, but sat up when he heard Danny gasp.

"What is it now, punk?" the cranky warden asked, rubbing his eyes.

"I- Tucker is trying to get Sam to get Valerie to kiss him! And Sam agreed! And I never knew what a confidant was, because I only heard it once when Jazz was on the phone! Plus my older self is trying...to...work...with..." Danny stopped suddenly and sat very still. Walker, who was lost when Danny had attempted to explain things to him, paid close attention to the screen. All he could see was Dan and Sam standing close together, with Sam mumbling something to him.

"N-no, Sam, that's not me... don't agree...and... ugh.." Danny fell forward, bumping his head on his knees somehow. "I can hear their thoughts!" Danny listened attentively, twitching when he heard Dan's evil mind and taking in a sharp breath when he heard Sam's. "Feelings...for me?" he muttered, wondering if it meant what he thought it did.

"Are you okay, kid? The boss'll kill me if you die from heart break or whatever." Walker wasn't too concerned, but he did have to make sure Danny didn't have some sort of attack.

"Why would my evil self want a kiss?" Danny wondered aloud, and to his surprise Walker grunted and sat down next to him.

"Do you want to know why?"

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Ohhhh, a cliffhanger! Bwahaha, this is the first one of the fic. I already have the answer ready, so the next chapter should be up by either Sunday or Monday. Tomorrow I have work, so that's why there's such a wait...

Oh, note 1: Walker's accent. It seems to me as if Walker has some sort of accent, and since I live on the east coast it sounds different. I'm not trying to insult anyone, but it really seems like he's Texan or southern.

And the confidant thingy: That is actually a system my intermost friends know of... Kaite, I'm sure you must have heard of it, and if not, bother me in school and I'll explain it in detail to you...

**Reviewer responses:**

I got a lot of reviews for this chapter. Thank you all for them, and I hope I didn't miss anyone...

Sam-n-Danny1- I hope you liked this chapter. Thanks for the Fave!

RavensDarkrose: The DxS fluff is coming in loads soon...I think...

Christine: I updated! Yay! And I love Phantom too :huggles Phantom plushie: I wish I had a Phantom plushie. That was an imaginary one... :sighs: We've gotta market them!

animeroxz: You think my story is good? Thank you, you just made my day :huggles:

Just Plain Insane: Ohhhh, I like your name! Dan is supposed to be evil, but I don't think I did a great job of keeping him in character... :sweatdrop:

not important: Every reviewer is important to me:crickets chirp: is it just me, or did I sound like Jazz there? Anyway, here's the update!

Sparky: Yes, Danny and Sam love! And I agree. I have many ideas for the future, with Dan's views on Sam. Thanks for the review!

crazyvi: It's Friday now. The week went really slow for me... Yay! People like my story :huggles:

Inukocharm: In _The Ultimate Enemy_, Dan (posing as Danny while Danny was in the ghost zone 10 years from then) also got past Sam's defenses, and while she would now be on high alert, he is a good actor, in my opinion. And you may be correct with a few of your predictions... :insert evil authoress laughter here: Also, I love your stories "The Talk" and "Black Clover." Update it soon, please!

lovdp88: Getting off topic is fun! In science class, we always get so off topic that we're about two lessons behind the other sections. (Ack! Now I'm getting off topic!)

Wow... 7 pages... I haven't typed this much for a fanfiction in a long time. In fact, the last time I typed more that 6 pages was for a social studies project, and that was 12 pages in size 10 font. And my teacher couldn't read it, it was too small... T.T

Thanks to all who reviewed, and/or put me on their favorites list. Huggles to everyone! (My computer thinks 'huggles' should be "Huggies" as in the diapers... :sweatdrop:)

Until next chapter,

-SimController

Ahh, forgot to say please review! S'il vous plaît?


	4. Chapter 3

I am so sorry... the lateness of this chapter is all my family's fault. I AM NOT AT BLAME!

:hyperventilates:

Disclaimer: Remember what I said about getting sidetracked? Okay, so in class today, Carl was all, "But I SWEAR the paper's blank!" and the teacher's all:rips it up:throws it away: Now it's blanking in the trash can!" I'm not sure how that relates to a disclaimer, but I don't own Danny Phantom or stuff like that. ME NO OWN.

Reviewer responses at the end.

"Talking" '_Thinking_' -----Scene changes, unless told via bolded letters.

It was a normal, boring, and totally predictable day.

Or, at least that's what Sam _thought_ it would be like as she crossed the doorway and into the facility that most teenagers hate. Yep, school.

"Hi Sam!" Tucker called from his locker down the hallway. Sam grumbled a response, as she was only half-awake. She'd stayed up all night (okay, only until 1:30) trying to come up with a plan as to how to become friends with Valerie. And the brilliant idea she'd come up with was...

...well, nothing. Maybe Danny had come up with something good?

"Sam, Tucker," a voice said from behind her. Speak of the devil. Literally, though Sam didn't know it. "Sam, what do we have first period? I forgot. Again."

"Uhhh... History, I think, then science, English, gym, and... whatever else our schedules say." Sam may have been the more organized of the three, but she often couldn't remember things. Especially around Danny. And lately, it had been worse, she had found it harder and harder to concentrate in the last week.

"Right then." Danny put his books in his locker, which was conveniently located between Sam and Tucker. Furthermore, the whole "being a ghost" helped a lot, as older Dan couldn't actually remember his combination.

"Dan-NY!" A girly voice called. Sam, beside Dan, growled. Dan found this slightly amusing, but didn't say anything. Paulina walked up to them. "Are you doing anything this coming Saturday?"

Dan considered this, as Tucker wedged his way between Paulina and Sam, to prevent "accidents."

"Why do you want to know?" Dan answered after a moment.

Paulina was initially shocked. '_Usually this loser is all over my invitations..._' she thought to herself. Brushing the mental ideas away, she answered, "I'm having another one of my parties. I wanted to know if you would come. You and the ghost boy seem to hang around each other a lot, so I think that if you come, he'll come!"

Dan raised his eyebrow, and thought, '_she never actually liked me. Only the ghost half of me!_' "Sorry Paulina," he said in a loud voice so that the whole hallway could hear. "I'm afraid that you are too shallow and petty for my presence. I will NOT be able to attend your party, and neither will the ghost boy, as I'll be sure to tell him that you were making out with Dash under the bleachers. If you can't go steady with your supposed love for Inviso-bill, then who says that once you two were an item you wouldn't go off and have another make-out session with Dash?"

The whole hallway gasped, as the color drained from Paulina's face. Instead of the outraged yell they expected after hearing of the "make out" session, she said in a weak voice, "How...did you...know?"

Dan smiled to himself and walked away, Sam, Tucker and Valerie (who had arrived a few seconds before the conversation) following. Valerie was shocked, but starting to look happy, Tucker was getting good blackmail ideas, and Sam was strutting with a thoroughly smug expression on her face.

First period passed... then second (Dan and Tucker were almost asleep by this time), and third. Finally, gym class arrived. The kids in the class that we know are Dan, Sam, Tucker, Valerie, Dash, Paulina, Star, and Kwan. Many other students were there as well, but this concentrates mainly on them anyway.

"So," Tucker said to Sam on the way outside, where the class would be practicing some new lesson, "Any developments in the Operation: Valerie kisses Tucker case?"

"You gave it a name?" Sam asked.

"Well, yeah." Tuck noticed Valerie walking towards them, as did Sam.

"Does it have to be after the date? Or can it be before?" Dan said from over Sam's shoulder.

"Whenever. Maybe if she kisses me before it, she'll automatically kiss me after the date!" Tucker exclaimed, and ran over to meet Val.

"Okay, in that case, I have a plan," Dan whispered into Sam's ear. For the second time in a day, his voice made her shiver in a pleasant-but-weird way. "Let's discuss it after school-"

But Dan was interrupted by a large hand pushing him forward. He was able to keep his balance, albeit he was wobbly and twitchy. "Heard you insulted Paulina, Fenton. For that, you're gonna pay..."

"BOYS! Break it up!" the gym teacher said. "Now then, maybe you can let that anger out in today's lesson. We're doing self-defense, in order to protect ourselves from attack or abduction. I'll be pairing you with another. Samantha, Valerie, you two. Tucker and Kwan; Paulina and Star, and..." a smirk crossed the teacher's face. "How about Danny and Dash?"

To Dash, this was a good way to kick Fenton's ass and not get in trouble for it. To Dan, this was better than any form of revenge he could currently think of.

"Face your partners!" the teacher barked, and the class did as they were told. "Now, has anyone taken self defense classes before?"

Dan, Sam, Valerie, Dash, and a few others raised their hands. "Good, it seems like I made wise decisions. Those of you who know what you're doing, go ahead and start. If you're not sure, ask me and I'll help you. For the rest off the class, if you have never taken defense classes before, follow me and I'll give you some pointers. Also, watch the others. MOVE!" she shouted, and the gym class hopped to it.

Sam and Valerie were both accomplished defensive masters. They started out slowly, blocking and throwing, until they were both going all-out against the other. Sam managed to get a hit in on Valerie's face, and Valerie hit Sam's shoulder. They decided to check out the other groups and see what was happening there.

Dan and Dash were interesting to watch. Dash was trying as hard as possible to hit Dan, but Dan evaded the attacks easily. "Why-can't-I-hit-you!" Dash grunted, swinging his arms wildly. Dan grinned sadistically.

"Because you're trying too hard," he answered, ducking a shot from Dash's leg. Catching Dash's other leg as it flew past him, Dan flipped Dash onto the ground and put his foot on Dash's chest. "Not such a loser, am I now?"

"Where the hell did you learn those moves?" Dash asked from his rather awkward position on the grass.

"Experience," Dan replied flatly, and let Dash stand up. "Something you'll probably never have."

"That's what you think!" Dash said angrily, balling his hand into a fist and punching at Dan.

Dan, in return, caught the fist neatly and said, "Too bad for you." Using the momentum of the fist, he stepped aside and pushed Dash's back, causing the blonde teen to fall to the ground for the second time in 3 minutes. Valerie and Sam cheered from the sidelines, where most of the class was watching. Including the teacher.

The teacher cleared her throat. "Good job Fenton. Baxter, I want 10 laps around the court. GO!"

Later in the gym class, Dan realized how many guys watched Valerie and Sam "fight." He figured they mostly watched Valerie, but when he looked closer, he found that they were staring at Sam. Dan silently seethed. "Dude, you okay?" Tucker's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, but instead of helping it made him angrier.

"Do you know how many looks she gets a day? I wonder how many dates she's turned down, waiting for someone - _me _- to ask her?" Dan stomped to the locker rooms to change, leaving a rather confused Tucker behind.

"What are you talking about?" Tucker said, jogging to catch up with Dan.

Dan, ignoring him, muttered something about being stupid in the past. All Tucker heard was something about stupidity.

"Hi guys!" Sam said in a rather cheerful tone for a goth. Noting the expressions on the teen boys' faces, she immediately became concerned. "What's the matter? Did somebody die?"

"No, at least I don't think so. Danny's not responding to me. See? Watch." Tucker walked up to Dan, and whispered loudly, "Paulina's coming!"

After seeing no reaction to Tuck's taunts, Sam became even more worried. "Is he okay?"

"I'm right here you know, guys," Dan said crossly. He'd grown tired of being talked at in such a way. "And Sam, this is where we must leave you."

Indeed, they had reached the building that was their school, and now had to change back into their normal outfits. It goes without saying that Sam was not allowed into the boy's locker rooms.

"Right. I'll see you at lunch." Sam walked off, with Dan gazing after her. Tucker, noticing Dan's stare, chuckled and pushed Dan into the changing rooms.

-------------------**Ghost Zone**

In the Ghost Zone, Danny was watching Walker with a curious expression. "You know why Dan Phantom is trying to wedge his way back into my friend's inter circle?"

Walker nodded. "The answer is not too complicated. To put it simply, the separation operation"- he paused and glanced at Danny. "Was it just me, or did that sound corny?"

"No, it sounded corny. Please continue with your story," Danny answered.

"Right then. The operation that split your human and ghost side was mostly a success. However, mostly is not fully. Your human side retained some of the ghost like powers, although he was not kept alive long enough for these to be discovered. The ghost side still had some of the human emotions in it, mainly loneliness. After merging with Plasmius's ghost side, the emotion of love came back into the picture. He realized he was lonely, and missed the attention he got from his family and friends. And he realized he was in love, in love with that black wearing girl that had always followed him around. He missed Tucker, his parents, even Jazz, though not really Mr. Lancer. But most of all, there was a hole in the place a heart should have been. His heart had been blown to pieces, when Sam and the others has died. So, in order to fill this hole, he decided to kill. I cannot tell you how many times I watched him, as he laughed at his task, then went back to the place he called a home and mourned for the losses he had suffered." Walker finished up, but Danny had one more question.

"Just how did you know all this?" he asked.

Walker smiled, a mysterious one that somehow answered every question he'd ever asked, but at the same time brought so many more up that it was impossible to guess at how much he knew. "I was wondering if you'd ever figure it out," 'Walker' said, his shape shimmering and twisting into a much more friendly form: Clockwork.

"Dan may have stolen my staff, but I can still move freely through the time stream. I came here to help you defeat him again, by returning you to your original time period. But first, there are actions in the world of the Living that must be attended to before you make a reappearance. So sit tight and watch the screen. We must wait for an opportune time before rushing back in to save the girl you love, and your family."

"I never said I loved Sam!" Danny cried, his cheeks burning a slight red color.

"No," replied Clockwork, "but I know everything, remember?"

Okay, this was originally going to be about three times this length, but I wanted to post something. And the place where it says, "mostly is not fully" is inspired from "The Princess Bride." Awesome movie. Love it to death.

Reviewer responses:

Sparky: Danny is slow on the show, isn't he? And I read somewhere that The Ultimate Enemy was inspired from a few thing, and Star Wars is probably one of them.

HeavensAngel009: I did finally update! Yay for the authoress!

RavensDarkrose: Hey, why is it so hard to walk... oh, hi:laughs: Some random fluff in this chapter. I think.

animeroxz: Here's the update. And this chapter had a long, pain-in-the-butt-explanation-to-type in it! Yay!

Myst: Oh, spiffy name. And I am actually considered the "evil kid" in my school.. :sweatdrop: But I swear I'm good:hides ax behind back:

luvdp88: Next chapter, all I'll say is that younger Danny gets reaaaalllly ticked off...

Darth Hawk 32: I hope that has every chapter goes by, I become better at this. :sniffs: You people are so nice!

dls: I have a dumb question for you: does your name mean "Danny loves Sam"? And the update is here!

crazyvi: Ahh, the sweet smell of a brand-new chapter... right?

Steph: Favorite stories ever? Aww, you're making me blush...

Azzy (a muse): Ack! No! Her head is becoming too big! Can't... breathe!

Me:hits the muse: Thanks, and huggles to all who reviewed.

I heard that THE ULTIMATE ENEMY IS COMING ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11 AT 9:00 PM. REPEAT: DANNY PHANTOM THE ULTIMATE ENEMY IS SUPPOSEDLY COMING ON TV AT 9:00 PM. Thank you for your time. And I think it's EST they're talking about.

As usual, reviews are quite nice to get! Suggestions would be appreciated. Please. Thanks.

–SimController


	5. Chapter 4

Um... Well. Wow. I go away after a car accident, and find my inbox filled with lots of reviews. Oh, geez... :starts to fake cry: You people are so nice...

There is a rather long explanation of why this chapter took so long to get up, but I figure you wanna read the STORY and not the explanation. Okeedokeey, here it is:

What Matters Most: Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: Hey, I still get distracted... Ohhh, Will wants a pony :giggles: Right, I can't own Danny Phantom, since other people do, and I'm not rich. Yeah. On to the story!

"Talking"

'_Thinking_'

oooooooooooooooo -scene changes, and **bolded words **mean ashift in time periods.

The last chapter left off with Sam and Dark Dan plotting on Valerie and Tucker's kiss, and Dan may want just a little more than a plan from Sam... (hey that rhymed!) Also, Danny was in the ghost zone in the future, with who was thought to be Walker. It turned out though, that it was actually Clockwork. Now, Danny and Clockwork are waiting for the right opportunity to go to the past and save the world from Dark Dan...again.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

At lunch that day, everything was going as normal. The popular kids were talking about the latest fashions, the geeks were playing their nerd poker, and our heroes were sitting at their usual table. Okay, Dan isn't a hero, but play along here.

"So, Valerie, are you ready for our date tonight?" Tucker, being the lady's man, was acting quite polite and courteous to his hopefully soon-to-be girlfriend.

"Yeah, I can't wait," Valerie answered while smiling at Tuck.

Dan was secretly gagging at the mushiness going on between the two, and faced Sam. But as he opened his mouth to speak, he noticed her longing expression. Following her line of view back to the couple, he immediately realized how much she had wanted to go out with him when he had been younger. '_I can fix that later,_' he thought to himself. '_As my younger self I'll kiss her and bring her to the dark side..._' Blinking at the sudden rage he felt coursing through his body, he shook his head. '_What the hell was that?_' Shrugging, he went back to opening a conversation with Sam.

"So, Sam," he whispered in the shiver-worthy tone, "get any smart ideas for the kissing scenario?" In reality he had one, but he didn't want to suggest it until later.

"No," Sam murmured back. "You?"

"One, but I don't think it will work. We'll use it as a backup plan if we can't come up with one-urgh..." Clutching his head, Dan tried to shake off the horrible rage that had once again filled him. "My...head," he groaned.

"Oh my god Danny, are you okay?" As Dan mock glared at her, Sam nervously chuckled and said, "Sorry, standard question. But what's wrong?"

Dan raised his head up, his eyes glowing a slight green. "I-don't-know, Sam. Something's off- augh!" Holding his head tightly, he muttered something about going to the nurse and ran out of the cafeteria.

Sam watched him go. "What was that all about?" she whispered to herself, wondering if she should go after him. Deciding against it, she returned to eating her meal.

oooooooooooooooooooo

Outside the lunchroom entrance, Dan was barely standing. "What-the-hell-is-going-on?" he panted, allowing his head to drop on his chest. '_Why am I getting feelings that are irrelevant to my current emotions?_' Glancing around for safety, Dan turned ghost and flew out of the school. He wasn't even sure where he was going, he just had to get away for a while.

After about an hour of clearing his head, Dan was better. Flying back to Casper High, he turned intangible. As he sped through the hallways, he tried to remember what his current class was. '_Oh well, I can just run around invisibly until I find my class,_' he told himself. Grinning, he flew through random classrooms, causing some people to shiver violently. Finally coming to one with both Sam and Tucker in it, he positioned himself outside the door, turned human and into his younger form, and walked inside.

"Danny! You're late!" the teacher yelled. And, just to piss him off, the teacher was Mr. Lancer. Dan groaned. _'I hate this guy..._'

Clearing his throat, Dan answered, "Yeah, I was at the nurse. My head was hurting."

"Oh? Do you have a note?"

'_Ah, shit._' "No, I forgot to get one."

Mr. Lancer sighed. "For now, that's a detention. Take your seat."

As Mr. Lancer turned around, Dan glowered at him. Walking towards the back, he sat down next to Sam and Tucker. "Dude, are you okay?" Tucker asked.

"Yeah," Dan grunted, "Sure."

oooooooooooooooooooo

After school, Dan and Sam met at an appointed meeting place: next to the dumpster. "Have you found any inspiration during class?" Dan asked Sam.

"No," she sighed, "but didn't you say you had a backup plan?"

"Indeed, I did. It would mean, though, that you would need to get tickets to the same concert as Tucker and Valerie. We need to be there in order for this to be pulled off," Dan said. "Is that possible?"

"Actually, yes. My one maid and her boyfriend were going to go so I bought tickets for them, but they got sick and can't. So I have two tickets left over. Why? What are we going to pull?" Sam queried.

"Well," Dan grinned, "This was what I had in mind..."

oooooooooooooooo

**Ghost Zone: Future**

oooooooooooooooo

Danny's eyes widened as he heard Dan's plot.

"...This was what I had in mind: We go to the concert, and making sure we're in plan view of Tuck and Val, we make out ourselves. If Tucker and Valerie see us kissing, maybe they'll be inspired to do the same. What's wrong?"

Danny couldn't see Sam's face, but he hoped she was outraged at such a thing.

"Nothing, I think is wrong, b-but if we make out..." Sam's voice had hope in it, and Danny blushed in the ghost zone.

"If we make out...?" Dan pushed her along.

"Will- will it mean anything to you? Or will it just be helping your best friend get a girl?" Sam blurted, and slapped her hands over her mouth.

Danny fell over in his chair. _'Wow... does Sam really like me?_' he thought, not noticing Clockwork's hand helping him up. He was busy paying attention to the TV screen.

Dan smiled. "Does this answer your question?" he said, and before Sam could reply he lowered his lips to hers.

Danny's eyes turned a glowing, deadly green. "How dare he," Danny growled, letting his anger get the best of him. Even Clockwork backed away, both awed and worried by the show of emotions.

Back on earth, Dan was finishing the kiss when his head exploded in pain. For some reason, the same rage he'd felt earlier had come back, only intensified. "Auugh!" He cried, throwing his body to the ground. Sam, still dazed by the kiss, blinked and forced herself out of her haze. "Danny!" she yelled, dropping to her knees next to him.

The real Danny, however, didn't hear her. Turning to Clockwork, he said, "Now is the time. We're going!"

Nodding, Clockwork replied, "Hold on to my arm, and you'll be able to follow me through the time stream."

Doing as he was told, Danny took one last glance at the TV. Sam was trying to wake Dan up, but he was knocked out on the ground.

"I'm coming to save you, Sam. Don't fall for his traps," Danny muttered. "How long until we get there?" he asked Clockwork, his eyes still an eerie green.

"A few hours. They'll be at the concert." Clockwork put all his attention back on navigating through the endless streams of numbers and dates.

Danny cursed quietly. Calming down ever so slightly, he passed the time by pondering what made his older self fall over like that. '_And it tied in with when I was mad... maybe that's it?_' Yawning, he clutched Clockwork's arm tighter. "Hey," he said sleepily, "I'm gonna catch some z's. Wake me when we get there." And with that, Danny fell into a nightmare world where Sam, Tucker, and everyone had died again...

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

That's all for now. I'm working on the chapters, because my old computer that had all of the files saved on it died. If this chapter seemed rather... bad, tell me. I'm better, but still not feeling up to par.

WHY THIS WAS LATE: Okay, I was in a car accident with my cousin. He's fine, but, well, you don't wanna know what exactly happened to me. Let's just go with "I was in pain, things were broken, and surgery was preformed." That sums it up.

Thanks to: **Sparky** and **danny0709**, who e-mailed me/Private Messaged me, making me realize how bad people wanted an update. Also, to everyone who reviewed, thanks :gives everyone cookies:

Oh, as for the matter of my name, my sister took over the account when I was in the hospital, and changed the name. We'll be sharing the account now, and changing the name to "SpazzSim" for the sake of it's randomness, but we'll sign our reviews in our separate names. I think that's all for now, if that confuses you then check our Bio in a few hours. I'll have redone it by then.

Please review! Bye for now!

-SimController


	6. Chapter 5

I...am ashamed. There is pretty much no excuse for me not updating sooner, other than I was stressed. My family has so many problems, then an aunt has to go and die...Yeah. At least Will got his pony. (Don't ask.)

DISCLAIMER: Nope, I don't own Danny Phantom. All I own is some chapstick. It tastes like peppermint.

"Talking" _'Thinking_' ooooooooooooooooo scene changes

If you're like me, then you probably forgot some of what happened in the last chapter (bad me!), so here's the short synopsis: Dan and Sam's plan to get Tuck and Val to kiss goes as follows: to make out in front of them while at the concert. This (according to Dan) might make them feel less insecure, thus they also kiss. However, Danny, in a random anger fit, decides that it is time to go back and interfere. Also revealed to Danny was the fact that his anger gave Dan a headache. Perhaps this works backwards, as well...? Read on to find out!

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Tucker rocked back and forth, slowly, ever slowly, waiting nervously. He was outside Valerie's house, steeling himself to finally knock on the door. Taking in a big breath, he raised his hand, inching it towards the wooden door, closer, closer...

_Knock Knock_

Holding the breath he'd taken, he got even more anxious as he heard feet come in his direction. Heart pounding, Tucker realized just how much he liked Valerie. On any one of the numerous dates he'd been on before (which added up to a grand total of 2) he had _never_ been quite this nervous. '_Man, Val has me wrapped around her little finger.'_ Tucker grinned at that. '_Not that I mind at all..._'

The door opened, and a tall, dark-skinned man was revealed. Tucker remembered that this was Valerie's dad. He smiled weakly. "H-hi, Mr. Gray. I'm, uh, Valerie's date..."

He trailed off as Grey smiled warmly at him. "Valerie has done nothing but talk about this date for the past day. She'll be down shortly." Opening the door wider, he ushered Tuck inside. "There are a few things I'd like to make clear, though." His smile vanished. "Treat her with utmost respect. Those friends of hers from a while ago just abandoned her, and she's felt lonesome ever since. Also, she's to be home either before or right at midnight, no later. Additionally," at here Mr. Grey stopped and peered at Tucker closely, to check for signs of annoyance and disrespect. Seeing none, he continued: "Additionally, do not try to harm her in any way. You look like a good kid, and I'd prefer not to have to report you. Plus, she could kick your butt. So, what are the three rules I just told you?"

Tucker answered without any hesitation, "Be respectful, curfew is at 12, and not to hurt her. But seriously, I would never dream of harming your daughter. I, uh, I like her too much for that..." Blushing just a little, Tucker averted his eyes from the man's face. Damon Grey was again beaming, knowing now why his daughter had talked about this boy nonstop. His affection was real, not something faked to get close to a cute girl.

"Daddy? Is that Tucker I hear downstairs?" And at that, Valerie entered. Tucker gasped; she looked wonderful. And since this authoress is rather fashion incompetent, we'll just go with that and skip the description of what she was wearing. But it's pretty, okay?

Valerie's cheeks pinked slightly at Tucker's awed look. "So, Tucker, you, uh, clean up well."

"Thanks. You too," Tucker replied.

"Well, ah, shall we?" Valerie questioned shyly.

Tucker's face broke into a warm smile. "Thought you'd never ask," he replied, offering his arm.

And off they went, to a night neither would ever forget.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Dan looked at his watch impatiently. What was taking Sam so long? He'd been waiting in the downstairs of her house (much to the chagrin of her parents) for a while now. She told him all she had to do was change, but why in the seven hells would it take this long? '_Women,_' Dan thought to himself. '_As long as I live, I'll never understand them_.'

Tapping his fingers against his arm, his mind drifted into possibilities of why Sam wasn't ready yet. '_Maybe she's taking a shower? No, I didn't hear any water. Perhaps her parents are lecturing her? I hope not. I hate those two, they never did seem to care about their daughter that much. Oh no... what if she's been captured by a ghost? I know that I could save her in an instant, but... oh, that makes me mad! The thought of some lowlife using her against even my younger self is infuriating._'

Shaking his head, he decided to go up and investigate. There could be nothing wrong, but there could also be some problem. It was best to check; after all, he wanted this night to go perfectly... for him at least.

Turning intangible, Dan flew up to where he believed Sam's room was. Going inside, he was greeted with the site of Sam...

Half naked.

She was wearing nothing but a bra and some fancy underwear. While this was anything but a bad picture, Dan didn't want to be caught peeping. The temperature in the room had already lowered, though. Too late for him.

"Danny?" Sam said suspiciously, turning around. "Danny, I know you're in here. It's the only explanation of why my room suddenly became freezerland."

Caught in the act, Dan turned tangible, remembering to become his younger self just in the nick of time. No need to reveal himself just yet. He played the innocent boy.

"I thought something had happened, Sam. I-I thought a ghost had gotten you." He faced away from her, as to not embarrass either one any farther.

"Not hardly. Now please leave, I still gotta change. Er, at least get in to proper clothing." Also positioned away from Dan, Sam had a rather red face. Fanning herself, she wondered if it was possible to get any redder.

"Sorry Sam. But I must say, you look damn sexy in that." And out went Dan.

Sam found out that it was indeed plausible to have a redder face.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

After the goth girl got dressed in a comfy set of clothing, she and Dan left in one of her parent's limos. The concert was a good 45 minute ride away, so she decided the best thing to do was plan the night. Sort of.

"So, um, basically all we have to do is find seats near Tuck and Val. Then we can commence, eh, whatever it is that Tucker named it," Sam stated.

"Yeah. Sounds about right," Dan said.

There was an awkward silence.

"Hey, Danny?"

"Yeah?"

"What happened today? When you passed out, I mean." Sam had been wondering this ever since he'd woken up in the nurse's office, declared himself fine, and ran off. She'd walked to her house with him, but been too preoccupied to ask.

Dan's expression darkened. "I don't know. For some reason, my head just felt like it was exploding, and it was full of emotions too. But it was mainly rage, which is strange since I was feeling rather pleased at that moment." Glancing at Sam he saw a cute blush stain her cheeks for a second or two, but she got control of it and the blush was gone.

"Oh," was all Sam said in reply.

Another silence overtook them, but this one wasn't as bad as before. Both of them were pondering what might have happened to Dan, albeit neither could figure out what the problem was.

They finally arrived at the place where the concert would be taking place. It was an outside concert, for some band that's name eluded Sam. Not that is was important anyway, since they were only there to make Valerie kiss Tucker.

"I think we'll need to stay away from Tuck and Val for now," Dan stated as he got out of the car/limo. "After all, they might get suspicious if they see us. We'll try to hide until the last possible moment, then just sort of...arrive."

"I know how we can do that," Sam continued on with that train of thought. "Perhaps we should go intangible?"

"Um, yeah, let me, um, go, you know, change." Dan ran for the men's room, and locked the stall door shut. "Let's see if I can get this right."

He changed first into his normal adult ghost form, then tried to copy what his younger self looked like. Not having a mirror to check himself in, he decided that he must be right. He was short, scrawny looking, and his white hair wasn't flaming. Plus his skin wasn't greenish blue anymore. Dan flew put to where he knew Sam was waiting, and picked her up. Turning them both invisible he flew over the crowd of people lining up to go inside.

"There they are!" Sam said, spotting Tucker and Valerie in the group of queuing people. Dan grunted in a sort of acknowledgment, and made his way toward the two. "You know, technically we didn't even need those tickets, if we're just going to be sneaking in," Sam grinned up at him. "But at least we're paid for."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Danny was still sleeping. Clockwork glanced at him and smiled grimly. "You have quite the fight coming up now, young one. Much will be revealed. I wonder, will you be ready for that?" Knowing the answer, he faced front once again and watched in the timeline for where he'd be getting off.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

In a galaxy far from here, an older sister was evilly tormenting a younger one by typing this, saving it, and telling the younger sister that there was nothing wrong with the file. And when the younger sister finally finds it, it will be too late and the chapter will have already been uploaded. Take that, little sis! This is for messing up my date that one time. You know _exactly_ which one I'm thinking of, too. To the readers of this, revenge is sweet, no?

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Once Tucker and Valerie had picked seats, Dan placed Sam gently on the ground and regained his tangibility. Sam smiled up at him, and he back down at her. But her face suddenly dropped, and she backed away from him by a step or two. "Danny?" she asked in a trembling voice. "What...what happened to your eyes?"

Dan blinked. "Huh?"

"They...they're red, Danny. Like when you were being controlled by Freak Show." Sam was edging farther away. Dan thought quickly, but came up short.

"Um, well, see, I've been playing with my powers, and-"

"Don't lie, Danny. I can tell when you lie."

'_Damn!_' "I..." He sighed, and suddenly looked much more menacing. "Looks like I'll be giving up my role sooner than I thought," he said.

"What?" Sam asked, worried.

"I mean _this_," Dan said, and with that he made the transformation to his normal self. Sam bit back a scream and jumped back. People started paying attention then.

"Ah, this is _much_ better. No longer am I pretending to be a younger being!" He laughed insanely and rolled his head until his neck cracked. People screamed.

Dan glared at them all. "Stupid humans," he muttered, firing a blast of something at a group of them. Valerie and Tucker were snapped out of their LaLa land. The ghost hunter jumped up, pulling Tucker with her.

"I have to do something, Tucker! It's almost my job," She told him, but Tucker paled as he saw the enemy.

"No, don't! You have no idea what you're going against! That's Danny Phantom's older self, from the future, and he's pure evil!" Tucker pulled her away from the scene. "Valerie, even as your older self you struggled against him. I don't wanna lose you so soon. Plus, I promised your dad I wouldn't let you get hurt!"

"Slow down, Tucker! Now, what's all this about future selves?" Valerie asked him as they ran away. Tucker gulped. Oh well, it was now or never. He explained everything to her, tugging her into an alleyway.

"I've been hunting _Fenton_ this whole time?" She questioned sickly. "Oh my god." She suddenly looked very alarmed. "Tuck, Sam is with that thing! What if she gets hurt?"

Tucker winced; he'd forgotten about Sam until then. But he remembered how normal Danny - well, now he knew it was Dark Dan - had been acting up to this point, and shook his head. "I think Sam'll be fine. For one, he hasn't harbored any ill will towards her lately, and two, Sam can take care of herself pretty well. But you knew that, right?"

"Yeah, but I'm still gonna worry. What should we do? Call Danny's parents?" Valerie rubbed her arm for no apparent reason.

Tucker brightened. "Actually, that's a good idea! Mrs. Fenton will know what to do, and she'll be able to do _something_ at least." Pulling out his cell phone (amongst other things), he dialed Danny's home phone.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Dan was having a great time, doing just what he wanted to do. Kill humans. Tucker and Valerie had disappeared for the time being, so he'd find them after he destroyed some lives. Laughing manically, he blasted the stage sky high. More people screamed, some from fright and others in painful agony as they laid dying. Sam had ran in some random direction, but he could still see her. He made another one of the ectoplasmic cages, placing it up high. Swooping down on the humans, he grabbed Sam.

"Put me down!" She yelled. He could see angry tears in her eyes.

"Shh, shh. There's no need to cry, Sammy." he wiped her tears away, and she bit at his fingers.

"Don't call me that!" 'Sammy' was what only Danny had ever called her. When Tucker had tried in the third grade, she had proceeded to kick the holy shit out of him. Never again did the boy call her (even my accident) Sammy. Danny was the only person to ever survive the dubbing of Sam 'Sammy.'

He laughed at her. "Keep those teeth to yourself, or I just might bite back." He flashed his fangs at her, making her snap her mouth shut tight. Placing her in the cage, he closed it and flew off to terrorize more people.

Sam sunk to the bottom of the glowing cage, mad and sad at the same time. She was mad at herself to have not noticed it wasn't Danny, and sad that she had been tricked. '_Into kissing him, even!_' She started scrubbing at her mouth furiously. '_I locked lips with a man I barely know!_'

No one noticed the rift in the sky, and the sudden appearance of two ghosts.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Meh, I hopes that is enough to hold you all over. I really wanna get this finished, it has about two more chapters (ish) to go. I have another idea for a longer fic, so that will be my next project.

This was proofread by my sister, thank her lots for correcting my bad mistakes!

—SimController


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